HERE was one way to look at Pedro Martinez vs. Roger Clemens: The greatest pitcher on the planet vs. a No. 3 starter.

Sure, the names looked great on a marquee and in memory. But the raw data from the past two seasons — and their oversold, underwhelming matchup in ALCS Game 3 last season – suggested this was hype and hope over realism. After all, Martinez has turned back the clock to 1968 when pitchers ruled, while Clemens has been hard-pressed to turn back the clock at all.

In many ways, it made you think of a potential Laker-Knick final with the expected big sell of Shaquille O’Neal vs. Patrick Ewing. TV executives will want our common sense suspended, so we will not see this for what it would be, a showdown between a Diesel in his prime vs. a hobbled 37-year-old.

Last night, though, the 37-year-old Clemens threw his fastball at 91-95 mph and his game back to ’97 and ’98, which were Cy Young years for him. But the reigning Cy Young is Martinez and, in the end, the Younger man won while the older man Cyed.

When one dramatic pitching mistake would determine the outcome of a game that possessed October resonance, Clemens got 26 outs before committing the error. Martinez, weakened by a cold, got through the 27 outs shaken, but not broken. Clemens yielded a two-out, two-run homer to Trot Nixon in the ninth. Martinez, throwing a 94 mph fastball with his 128th pitch of a poignant evening, induced Tino Martinez to ground out to second with the bases loaded and two away in the ninth, sealing the Red Sox’s 2-0 triumph.

“He’s the best pitcher in the game,” Boston second baseman Jeff Frye said. “No one else is as mentally tough as he is and we saw that again tonight.”

Martinez is now 8-2 with a 1.05 ERA, and I can continue to hurl impressive statistic after impressive statistic at you and it would do no justice. You could not explain Van Gogh by discussing the paint or Mozart by displaying sheet music. Like with any great artist, Martinez is best enjoyed and understood by watching his mound majesty.

Last September, he pitched perhaps the greatest game ever at Yankee Stadium, a one-hitter with 17 strikeouts in which he turned the eventual World Series champions into Little Leaguers. In the postseason, the Yankees went 11-0 against everyone else and 0-1 against Martinez, who badly outpitched a woeful Clemens in ALCS Game 3.

But the Pedro the Yanks saw last night was not vintage. He had been coughing and bothered by headaches so much before the game that his catcher, Jason Varitek, said, “No way did I expect him to be around in the ninth inning.”

Yet there was Martinez. He did not have his peerless changeup working at peak efficiency all game. However, with the accuracy of his fastball and the deception of his curve, he matched Clemens zero for zero. With two outs and a runner on second in the fourth, Martinez fell behind Jorge Posada 3-1 and dropped one unhittable curve in for a called strike before Posada swung through another hook to end the inning.

“That is curveball, curveball in a fastball situation,” Derek Jeter said. “How many pitchers can do that?”

Few. And fewer still could out of nowhere unleash a cut fastball the third time through the Yankee lineup, a surprise attack from the adaptable Martinez.

“He is an amazing combination of power and finesse, and he really knows how to pitch,” David Cone said.

And he has aura. Last night, when his skill was slightly diminished, his will was as strong as ever. A full Stadium – with a surprisingly large Red Sox contingent – and a sturdy Clemens merely brought out more fight in Martinez. In the ninth, he hit Chuck Knoblauch leading off and Jeter followed with his third hit. The tying runs were aboard. Manager Jimy Williams came out.

Martinez told his skipper, “Let me go. I feel I can get these people.” Afterward Williams said, “I left him in whatever he said. That is why he is who he is.”

Martinez struck out Paul O’Neill for the third time and used his cutter to miss just enough of Bernie Williams’ sweet spot so a long drive to right fell for an out on the warning track instead of in the seats for a game-winning homer.

Wanting desperately not to leave a pitch over the plate “like Roger did,” Martinez ended up hitting Posada to load the bases.

The 55,339 who attended a game that Jimy Williams said “doesn’t get better” stood in possibility. A national TV audience was riveted. Martinez vs. Clemens – Red Sox vs. Yankees – had bettered the hype. Clemens had been masterful for 26 outs. Martinez had 26 outs and the bases loaded. The winner would take this three-game series and sole possession of first place in the AL East.

Tino Martinez swung and missed at one fastball, then grounded to Frye to end the game, the Yanks falling to 1-for-12 against Pedro with men on base.

“My rival is everybody, not just the Yankees,” Pedro said. “I don’t care about the rivalry. I care about what I have to do for my team.”

What he does, besides giving the Red Sox the world’s finest pitcher, is give them mystique; a psychological edge that all will be well. Clemens used to have that, and the Yankees were again talking afterward as if this outing had helped him rediscover it. We will see. These teams figure they will be battling one another for the AL East title and perhaps a World Series spot all year.

And the Red Sox have the most potent weapon in the sport for this war.